Pivot hinge assembly



Jan. 13, 1970 j E. s wo ET AL 3,488,792

PIVOT HINGE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 21,. 1968 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTORS. J5.5 E. A-sflu okrh' a ausr L. BARTZ Affarney Jan. 13, 1970 J ASHWQRTH ETAL 3,488,792

PIVOT HINGE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 21. 1968 2R llv l/E/VTORS. JAMES E. ASHWTH 8 AUGUST L. BA 2 A f rorney United States Patent 3,488,792 PIVOTHINGE ASSEMBLY James E. Ashworth, Moraga, Calif., and August L. Bartz,Bernardsville, N.J., assignors to United States Steel Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 707,253 Int. Cl.E0511 7/00, 15/28, 15/54 US. Cl. 16-861 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A pivot hinge assembly for gates including two brackets eachhaving two holes therein and fastened to a post in spaced apartrelationship, a filler block having two holes therein and fastened toeach bracket on the side toward the other bracket, and a flange havingone hole therein connecting each filler block to the top and bottom ofthe gate, respectively. When used to swing the gate 90 to each side ofthe gate opening, each filler block is connected to its associatedbracket by means of a bolt having a square shank passing through squareholes in the filler block and bracket, and the gate is pivotallyconnected to the filler blocks and brackets by round bolts passingthrough aligned holes therein. When used to swing the gate 180 to oneside of the gate opening each filler block is pivotally connected to itsassociated bracket by means of a round bolt passing through alignedholes therein, and the gate is non-rotatably connected to each fillerblock by means of a bolt having a square shank passing through squareholes in the filler block and flange.

This invention relates to a hinge assembly and more particularly tohinges for pivotally connecting a gate to a fence post. Many such hingesare in use for limiting swing of the gate 90 to either side of the gateopening on to a 10 swing to one side of the opening. However, we do notknow of any hinge which can be readily adapted to enable the gate toswing either 90 to each side or 180 to one side of the opening. Thus, itis necessary to keep at least two types of hinges in stock. As usedhereinafter the term gate is used to indicate either door, gate orsimilar closure.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a hinge assemblymade up of a few inexpensive parts which can be readily assembled in twodifferent ways to enable the gate to swing either 90 to each side of thegate opening or 180 to one side of the gate opening.

This and other objects will be more apparent after 'referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation showing a gate attached to a fence post withthe parts of the hinge arranged to permit swinging of the gate 90 toeach side of the gate opening;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the gate of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a bracket forming part of the hingeassembly;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a filler block forming part of thehinge assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a special bolt forming part of thehinge assembly;

FIGURE 6 is an elevation showing a gate attached to a fence post withthe parts of the hinge arranged to permit swinging of the gate 180 toone side of the gate opening; and

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the gate of FIGURE 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2Rindicates an angle shaped support bracket having a circular hole 4 and asquare hole 6 through leg 3,488,792 Patented Jan. 13, 1970 "ice 8thereof. A filler block 10 is provided with a square hole 12 at one endhaving a countersunk portion 14. A similar square hole 16 is provided atthe other end of block .10 but with its countersunk portion 18 on theopposite side from countersunk 14. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 6, top andbottom angles 20, each having a square hole 22 through its horizontalleg or flange 24 support a gate 26. The material for one set of hingesincludes one bracket 2R, one bracket 2L, which is the same as bracket 2Rexcept of opposite hand, two filler blocks 10, two angles 20, twowashers 28, two locking bolts 30, each having a countersunk head 32 anda square shank portion 34 adjacent the head 32, two center bolts 36, andfour nuts 38. It will be seen that the sides of the square holes are ofthe same length as the diameter of the circular holes. In assembling thehinge and gate for a swing to either side of the fence opening as shownin FIGURES 1 and 2, bracket 2R is secured in any suitable manner to face40 of a fence post 42 such as disclosed in our copending applicationSer. No. 568,953, filed July 29, 1966, now Patent No. 3,370,836 withhorizontal leg 8 downwardly. In a similar manner, bracket 2L is securedto face 40 adjacent its lower end with horizontal leg 8 upwardly and theholes 4 and 6 of the brackets in vertical alignment. A filler block 10is positioned against the bottom of leg 8 of bracket 2R and a bolt 30 ispassed upwardly through aligned holes 12 and 6 as shown in FIG- URE 1and a nut 38 threaded on the top end thereof. In like manner a secondfiller block 10 is positioned on top of leg 6 of bracket 2L and a secondbolt 30 is passed downwardly through aligned holes 16 anda nut 38threaded thereon. It will be seen that the square shanks 34 of nuts 30prevent turning of blocks 10 with respect to brackets 2R and 2L. Thedistance between the top face of top angle 20 and the bottom face of thebottom angle 20 of gate 26 is slightly less than the distance betweenthe bottom face of the top block 10 and the top face of the lower block10. A center bolt 36 is passed through holes 22, 4 and 16 of the topassembly with a washer 28 between the angle 20 and the filler 10. Inlike manner a bolt 36 is passed through holes 22, 12 and 4 of the bottomassembly with a washer 28 between the block 10 and angle 20. Nuts 38 arescrewed on each of the bolts 36 to complete the assembly. It will beseen that the fence 26 can swing 90 to either side of the fence openingto either the full line position or the broken line position shown inFIGURE 2. In this arrangement the hole 22 can be round instead ofnoncircular, the hole in filler block 10 in alignment with hole 22 alsoround and not countersunk, and/or the brackets 2R and 2L made shorter soas to omit the hole 4. However, for greater rigidity, it is preferred toinclude the hole 4. 1 In assembling the hinge for a swing on a selectedside of the opening as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, a bracket 2L is securedto face 40 of the post 42 adjacent its top and a bracket 2R secured tothe face 40 adjacent its bottom with the horizontal leg of the topbracket downwardly and the horizontal leg of the bottom bracketupwardly. A filler plate 10 is pivotally secured to bracket 2L bypassing a center bolt 36 through holes 4 and 12 with a washer 28 betweenbracket 2L and filler 10. In like manner, a center bolt 36 is passedthrough openings 4 and 16 with a washer between bracket 2R and filler10. Nuts 38 are threaded on the bolts 36 to hold the parts in place.Gate 26 is then positioned between the filler plates 10 with its angles20 hearing against the lower face of top filler plate 10 and the upperface of lower filler plate 10. A bolt 30 is passed downwardly throughhole 16 f top filler plate 10 and hole 22 in angle 20 and a nut 38threaded on the lower end thereof. In like manner a bolt 30 is passedupwardly through opening 12 of lower filler plate 10 and hole 22 inangle 20. Nuts 38 are threaded on the bolts 30 to complete the assembly.It will be "seen that the gate 26 cannot turn with respect to the fillerplates because the square shank 34 of bolts 30 engages the square holesof the angles and filler plates 10. However, the gate swings from itsclosed position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 7 around bolts 36 for anangle of 180 to the broken line position shown. In this arrangement thehole in filler block 10 in alignment with hole 4 can be round and notcountersunk. However, the specific structure shown is preferred topermit using a lesser number of different parts for the alternatearrangements.

While two embodiments of our invention have been shown and described, itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A pivot hinge assembly for fastening a gate to a post comprising apair of brackets fastened to said post in spaced apart relationship,each bracket having a leg extending from said post normal to the hingepivot and parallel to the leg on the other bracket, each leg having atleast one hole therethrough aligned with the hole in the other leg,.afiller block attached to each leg on the side adjacent the other leg andhaving two spaced holes therethrough one in alignment with the hole inthe associated leg to provide aset of aligned holes, at least one of theholes in the filler block being non-circular, a pair of parallel flangessecured to said fence normal to the axes of said. holes and spaced aparta distance slightly less than the distance between said filler blocks,each flange having a hole therethrough in alignment with the other holein said filler block to provide a set of aligned h les, a bolt having anon-circular shank passing through one set of aligned holes associatedwith each bracket, and a bolt having a circular shank passing throughthe other set of aligned holes associated with each bracket.

2. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim 1 in which each bracket leghas a non-circular hole therethrough aligned with the non-circular holein the other bracket and a substantially circular hole spaced from thenon-circular hole and aligned with the circular hole in the otherbracket, both of said holes in said filler blocks are non-circular withone hole being countersunk on one side and the other hole beingcountersunk on the other side, and the hole in each flange isnon-circular.

"3. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim '2 in' which thecountersunk side of the hole in each filler block in alignment with thenon-circular hole of the bracket is on the side adjacent the otherfiller block, each of the bolts with the non-circular shank passesthrough one set of these aligned non-circular holes and has acountersunk head received in the countersunk of the associated filler,and each bolt with a circular shank passes through a set of holesincluding the circular hole of the bracket, the other hole in theassociated filler block, and the hole in the associated flange.

4. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim 3 including a washersurrounding each of said bolts with a circular shank between said fillerblock and flange.

5. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim 4 in which each of saidnon-circular holes is square.

6. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim 2 in which the countersunkside of the hole in each filler block in alignment with the hole in theflange is on the side away from the other filler block, and each of thebolts with the non-circular shaft passes through this set ofnon-circular holes and has a countersunk head received in thecountersunk of the associated filler.

7. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim 6 in which each of thebolts having a circular shank passes through the circular hole in saidbracket and the other hole of said filler block, said assembly includinga washer surrounding each of said circular shank bolts with a circularshank between said filler block and bracket.

8. A pivot hinge assembly according to claim 7 in.

which each of said non-circular holes is square.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1965 Beck l6128 7/1962Fredricksen 16l58 US. Cl. X.R. 16-128, 158

